Wednesday, June 13, 2007

La Tour d'Argent (Paris)

One of the restaurants that I've always wanted to go in Paris is La Tour d'Argent (15, quai de la Tournelle; 5th arrondissement). It is well-known for its unbeatable view of Notre Dame and the Seine (left), and although many people say that the food is not as good as it used to be (it only has a 1-star in the Michelin Guide now), I think just the view itself still makes this restaurant a worthwhile experience.

S and I decided to go for lunch since it's a better deal (their prix-fixe lunch is 75 euros vs dinner is around 230 euros, without drinks), even though we knew the night view would be even more breathtaking. I started off with the king crab and shrimp ravioli in mango broth, which was more like a salad but the flavor was excellent and there was plenty of crab. For main dish, I ordered the the milk-fed veal while S ordered their famous duck. The veal was cooked perfectly and the duck was tender and well-flavored. A guy prepares the duck right in the dining room (see right). As their tradition, they handed S a card with the number of the duck on it (this reminds me of eating Peking duck in Beijing where they also give you a card to tell you what number of duck you are eating). For dessert, I had a "Argan oil biscuit with lemon mousse and caramel ice cream," which was nice because it was pretty light and wasn't too sweet. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the food, but it could also be that I was expecting just okay food by from what other people have told me.

Unfortunately, I can't give La Tour d'Argent any Q's. Its clientele consisted mostly of tourists or couples who were there for the romantic view. The good thing is that while you won't necessarily find the view of men pleasing to the eye at La Tour d'Argent, the view of Notre Dame will more than make up for it.